GH017-06
Linking earth observation data and air quality ground based stations to analyze African Dust impacts on public health in Puerto Rico

Tuesday, 15 December 2020: 11:53
Virtual
Pablo Mendez-Lazaro1, Ana P Ortiz-Martinez2, Eliezer Santos-León2, Edgar Perez-Matias3, Daniel Brooks Otis4, Frank E Muller-Karger4, Digna T Rueda-Roa5, Olga L Mayol-Bracero6 and Cynthia M Perez-Cardona7, (1)University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, Environmental Health Department, San Juan, PR, United States, (2)University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, San Juan, PR, United States, (3)Organization Not Listed, Washington, DC, United States, (4)University of South Florida St. Petersburg, IMaRS, St Petersburg, FL, United States, (5)University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, United States, (6)University of Puerto Rio Piedras Campus, Department of Environmental Science, San Juan, PR, United States, (7)University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, San Juan, United States
Recorded Presentation
Abstract:
Air quality is a significant public health problem in many regions of the world. Air pollution, variability in aerosols from natural sources, and trends in environmental variables due to climate, can interact with various socio-economic factors in numerous ways to affect public health. Globally, the largest dust sources are in the northern hemisphere, with major contributions from the Sahara and Sahel regions in North Africa. These regions alone contribute over 20 million tons of airborne dust per year. The air pollution related to African dust is positively associated with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions in many countries. The objective of this research is to analyze earth observation data, air quality ground based stations and public health data emphasizing in mortality in Puerto Rico for the years 2015-2017. Remote sensing techniques-earth observation data and ground-based stations were used to understand geospatial patterns of African dust outbreaks and air surface temperature. Quantitative data were collected through the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry, Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (PREQB), U.S. Navy’s Naval Research Laboratory and VIIRS AOD in order to quantify the impact on respiratory and cardiovascular mortality associated to Saharan dust outbreaks and PM 2.5. Time series analysis on PM 2.5 data and Poisson regression with lags on the explanatory variables were used. African dust concentration increase in the Caribbean between May and September. These plumes are positively associated to respiratory (without flu causes) mortality with a relative risk of 1.23 (CI 95%: 1.03, 1.47) when adjusted for PM 2.5 and Air Surface Maximum Temperature. This project has set the baseline to develop solutions and create a Public Health Early Warning System with NASA’s “state of the art” technology. These results are being useful for the community; local, state and federal agencies.

Acknowledgements: Supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Grant: #80NSSC19K0194

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